Carney Chukwuemeka rejected mega deal at Aston Villa to force move to Chelsea
Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka rejected an offer worth £100,000 a week at Aston Villa to force a move to the west London club, reports the Evening Standard (h/t Express).
The Blues signed the 18-year-old for £20 million this summer. The England Under-19 star shone for his country and helped them win the Euros, attracting interest from clubs like Barcelona and AC Milan.
However, it was the Blues who won the race for the youngster. The midfielder had been a boyhood Blues fan and was interested in only joining us.
Chukwuemeka had made just 16 appearances for the midland club before his move, with only two of them coming as starts. Despite this, his former club wanted to keep him and offered such a mega deal to the youngster.
The deal would have made him one of the highest-paid teenagers in the game, despite his relative inexperience. But, the midfielder rejected any such offer and instead made a move to Stamford Bridge.
He made his debut for the club in his side’s 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. The 18-year-old is tipped to become one of the best players in the world in his position.
The midfielder is expected to divide his time between the Chelsea Under-23 and first-team. A January loan move has also not been ruled out for the midfielder, to help increase the playing experience under his belt.
Chukwuemeka will return to Villa Park this Sunday with the Blues. While he is not likely to start, it remains to be seen if Graham Potter will bring on the 18-year-old against his former side.
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- Graham Potter gives injury update on Wesley Fofana, N’Golo Kante and Reece James
Generally, players play with that extra bit of passion against their former sides. However, it is more likely that we see Jorginho paired with perhaps Mateo Kovacic in central midfield. N’Golo Kante, meanwhile, is out injured.